Fatima (given name)

Fatima (, ), also spelled Fatimah, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin used throughout the Muslim world. Several relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad had the name, including, most famously, his daughter Fatimah bint Muhammad. The literal meaning of the name is ''one who separates'' or ''one who abstains''. It is used in the context of "separating people from Hell" "being separated from Hell" "weaning from the punishment of Hell" "separating good from evil" or "being separated from evil," so it is also considered to mean "''one who splits from Hell."''

The colloquial Arabic pronunciation of the name in some varieties (e.g., Levantine and Egyptian) often omits the unstressed second syllable and renders it as ''Fatma'' when romanized. Incidentally, this is also the usual Turkish form of the name (another variant, Fadime, is less common). In South Asian countries, such as India (most commonly), Pakistan, it may be spelt as Fathima. In Persian, the name is rendered as ''Fatemeh'' in the Iranian dialect, ''Fatima'' Afghan dialect, Fatimə (pronounced Fátimeh) in Azerbaijani, and ''Fotima'' (Фотима) in Tajik dialect. The name Fatima is given in honor of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, who, in Islamic traditions, was given this name because she would save her followers from Hell.

Fatima is also used by non-Muslims: the town of Fátima, Portugal (originally named after an Arab princess) was the site of a famous Marian apparition in 1917, after which it achieved some popularity as a female personal name among Catholic populations, particularly in the Portuguese-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries. Provided by Wikipedia